China's Military Modernization: Determining the Level of Threat

U.S. military planners have a wide range of views concerning the threat posed by China. It is difficult to determine the true extent of this threat by listening to Chinese rhetoric that is often vague or misleading. Conversely, a great deal of insight concerning the Chinese military and the threat it poses can be gained by focusing on their military modernization programs. As opposed to government rhetoric, the modernization process, and its resultant capabilities, provide the warplanner with a long term, factual picture of the threat against which U.S. forces must be prepared to defend. The purpose of this paper is to develop an accurate assessment of the threat posed by China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) through an analysis of their military modernization program. This paper also examines U.S. strategy considerations that may be considered in order to counter Chinese capabilities and threats.